1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and to a circuit arrangement for transmitting message packets via packet switching equipment which comprises at least two redundant switching matrices to input ports connected thereto, the message packets comprising a packet header identifying a respective virtual connection and being transmitted on output trunks in an asynchronous transmission method during the course of virtual connections.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Switching equipment for communications networks must enable an uninterrupted, disturbance-free switching operation. Since, however, individual components have a certain failure probability, the structure of switching equipment must be selected such that disturbance-free operation of the overall system is guaranteed in spite of the failure of individual components. It is already known in this context to redundantly design central equipment of a data switching system (for example, from "Unterrichtsblaetter der Deutschen Bundespost", Vol. 25, No. 11, 1982, pp. 263-266). What this redundancy assures is that backup routes can be switched given failure of one of the central equipment. However, it is necessary to provide appropriate monitoring and control measures in the data switching system for this purpose.